Why Ductwork Matters When Heating Your Florida Home

Your home’s ductwork is mostly out of sight and out of mind, hidden behind walls, beneath floors and above ceilings, but it’s one of the most important parts of your home’s heating and air conditioning systems. If your ductwork isn’t in good condition, you could be losing 30 percent or more of your expensive conditioned air before it reaches the rooms it’s intended to reach.

Even with our mild south Florida winters, duct problems can raise your energy costs, decrease the life of your air handling equipment and make it difficult to keep parts of your home comfortable. It pays to have a thorough inspection of your ductwork by HVAC professionals every few years, followed by necessary repairs. Here are some things your technician will look for and repairs he or she may recommend:

Kinks in flexible ducts – Flexible ducts are often used in tight places and to go around sharp corners, but they’re easy to damage during installation and can become crushed or kinked if they’re not properly installed and supported. If kinks can’t be removed by straightening and adding proper support, affected duct sections should be replaced.

Leaking seams and disconnected joints – Ducts that aren’t joined securely with screws or clamps and sealed with mastic can come loose and result in big losses of heated and cooled air from your system. Your technician can find and repair leaks in places that you might find difficult to gain access to.

Missing or damaged insulation – Ducts should be insulated anywhere they run through unconditioned spaces, such as your attic. If insulation has gotten wet or is missing, it should be replaced to prevent energy losses due to conduction between your ductwork and the unconditioned space.

Dirty filter and loose filter slot – Your air filter should be cleaned or replaced before it becomes filled with enough dust to restrict airflow in your system. The filter slot should be tight so that air can’t bypass the filter.